Recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission - Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPS) for Railway Employees
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(RAILWAY BOARD)
RBE No.101/2009
New Delhi, dated 10.06.2009
S.No.PC-VI/110
No. PC-V/2009/ACP/2
The General Managers
All Indian Railways & PUs
(As per mailing list)
Sub: Recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission - Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPS) for Railway Employees
The Sixth Central Pay Commission in Para 6.1.15 of its report, has recommended Modified
Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPS). As per the recommendations, financial
upgradation will be available in the next higher Grade Pay whenever an employee has completed
12 years continuous service in the same grade. However, not more than two financial
upgradations shall be given in the entire career, as was provided in the previous Scheme. The
Scheme will also be available to all posts belonging to Group ‘A’ whether isolated or not.
However, organised Group "A" services will not be covered under the Scheme.
2. The Government has considered the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay
Commission for introduction of a MACPS and has accepted the same with further modification
to grant three financial upgradations under the MACPS at intervals of 10, 20 and 30 years of
continuous regular service.
3. The Scheme would be known as MODIFIED ASSURED CAREER PROGRESSION
SCHEME (MACPS) FOR RAILWAY EMPLOYEES. This Scheme is in supersession of
previous ACP Scheme and clarifications issued there under and shall be applicable to all
regularly appointed Group ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ Railway Employees except officers of the Organised
Group ‘A’ Service. The status of Group ‘D’ employees would cease on their completion of
prescribed training, as recommended by the Sixth Central Pay Commission and would be treated
as Group ‘C’ employees. Casual employees, including those granted ‘temporary status’ and
employees appointed in the Railways only on adhoc or contract basis shall not qualify for
benefits under the aforesaid Scheme. The details of the MACP Scheme and conditions for grant
of the financial upgradation under the Scheme are given in Annexure.
4. A Screening Committee shall be constituted in each Department to consider the case for
grant of financial upgradations under the MACP Scheme. The Screening Committee shall consist
of a Chairperson and two members. The members of the Committee shall comprise officers
holding posts which are at least one level above the grade in which the MACP is to be I:\MACPS.doc
considered and not below Senior Scale grade (PB-3, GP-Rs.6600/-). The Chairperson should
generally be a grade above the members of the Committee.
5. The recommendations of the Screening Committee shall be placed before Railway Board
(MS) in cases where the Committee is constituted in the Railway Board/Ministry or before the
Head of the organisation/competent authority in other cases for approval.
6. In order to prevent undue strain on the administrative machinery, the Screening
Committee shall follow a time-schedule and meet twice in a financial year – preferably in the
first week of January and first week of July of a year for advance processing of the cases
maturing in that half. Accordingly, cases maturing during the first-half (April-September) of a
particular financial year shall be taken up for consideration by the Screening Committee meeting
in the first week of January. Similarly, the Screening Committee meeting in the first week of July
of any financial year shall process the cases that would be maturing during the second-half
(October-March) of the same financial year.
7. However, to make the MACP Scheme operational, the Cadre Controlling Authorities
shall constitute the first Screening Committee within a month from the date of issue of these
instructions to consider the cases maturing upto 30th June, 2009 for grant of benefits under the
MACPS.
8. The scheme would be operational w.e.f. 01.09.2008. In other words, financial
upgradations as per the provisions of the earlier ACP Scheme (of October, 1999) would be
granted till 31.08.2008.
9. No stepping up of pay in the Pay Band or Grade Pay would be admissible with regard to
junior getting more pay than the senior on account of pay fixation under MACP Scheme.
10. It is clarified that no past cases would be re-opened. Further, while implementing the
MACP Scheme, the differences in pay scales on account of grant of financial upgradation under
the old ACP Scheme (of October 1999) and under the MACP Scheme within the same cadre
shall not be construed as an anomaly.
11. Hindi version will follow.
(P. P. Pandey)
Director, Pay Commission
Railway Board
ANNEXURE
MODIFIED ASSURED CAREER PROGRESSION SCHEME (MACPS)
1. There shall be three financial upgradations under the MACPS, counted from the direct
entry grade on completion of 10, 20 and 30 years of service respectively. Financial upgradation
under the Scheme will be admissible whenever a person has spent 10 years continuously in the
same Grade Pay.
2. The MACPS envisages merely placement in the immediate next higher Grade Pay in the
hierarchy of the recommended revised Pay Bands and Grade Pay as given in Section 1 , Part-A
of the first schedule of the Railway Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008. Thus, the Grade Pay at
the time of financial upgradation under the MACPS can, in certain cases where regular
promotion is not between two successive grades, be different than what is available at the time of
regular promotion. In such cases, the higher Grade Pay attached to the next promotion post in the
hierarchy of the concerned cadre/organisation will be given only at the time of regular
promotion.
3. The financial upgradations under the MACPS would be admissible upto the highest
Grade Pay of Rs.12000/- in the PB-4.
4. Benefit of pay fixation available at the time of regular promotion shall also be allowed at
the time of financial upgradation under the Scheme. Therefore, the pay shall be raised by 3% of
the total pay in the Pay Band and the Grade Pay drawn before such upgradation. There shall,
however, be no further fixation of pay at the time of regular promotion if it is in the same Grade
Pay as granted under MACPS. However, at the time of actual promotion if it happens to be in a
post carrying higher Grade Pay than what is available under MACPS, no pay fixation would be
available and only difference of Grade Pay would be made available. To illustrate, in case a
Railway Servant joins as a direct recruit in the Grade Pay of Rs.1900 in PB-l and he gets no
promotion till completion of 10 years of service, he will be granted financial upgradation under
MACPS in the next higher Grade Pay of Rs.2000 and his pay will be fixed by granting him one
increment plus the difference of Grade Pay (i.e. Rs.100). After availing financial upgradation
under MACPS, if the Railway servant gets his regular promotion in the hierarchy of his cadre,
which is to the Grade Pay of Rs.2400, on regular promotion, he will only be granted the
difference of Grade Pay between Rs.2000 and Rs.2400. No additional increment will be granted
at this stage.
5. Promotions earned/upgradations granted under the ACP Scheme in the past to those
grades which now carry the same Grade Pay due to merger of pay scales/upgradations of posts
recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission shall be ignored for the purpose of granting
upgradations under Modified ACPS.
Illustration
The pre-revised hierarchy (in ascending order) in a particular organisation was as follows:
Rs.5000-8000, Rs.5500-9000 & Rs.6500-10500.
(a) A Railway servant who was recruited in the hierarchy in the pre-revised pay scale Rs.5000-
8000 and who did not get a promotion even after 25 years of service prior to 1.1.2006, in
his case as on 1.1.2006, he would have got two financial upgradations under ACP to the
next grades in the hierarchy of his organization, i.e., to the pre-revised scales of Rs.5500-
9000 and Rs.6500-10500.
(b) Another Railway servant recruited in the same hierarchy in the pre-revised scale of
Rs.5000-8000 has also completed about 25 years of service, but he got two promotions to
the next higher grades of Rs.5500-9000 & Rs.6500-10500 during this period.
In the case of both (a) and (b) above, the promotions/financial upgradations granted under
ACP to the pre-revised scales of Rs.5500-9000 and Rs.6500-10500 prior to 1.1.2006 will be
ignored on account of merger of the pre-revised scales of Rs.5000-8000, Rs.5500-9000 and
Rs.6500-10500 recommended by the Sixth CPC. As per the RS(RP) Rules, both of them will be
granted Grade Pay of Rs.4200 in the Pay Band PB-2. After the implementation of MACPS, two
financial upgradations will be granted both in the case of (a) and (b) above to the next higher
Grade Pays of Rs.4600 and Rs.4800 in the Pay Band PB-2.
6. In the case of all the employees granted financial upgradations under ACPS till
01.01.2006, their revised pay will be fixed with reference to the pay scale granted to them under
the ACPS.
6.1 In the case of ACP upgradations granted between 01.01.2006 and 31.08.2008, the
Railway servant has the option under the RS(RP) Rules, 2008 to have his pay fixed in the revised
pay structure either (a) w.e.f. 01.01.2006 with reference to his pre-revised scale as on
01.01.2006; or (b) w.e.f. the date of his financial upgradation under ACP with reference to the
pre-revised scale granted under ACP. In case of option (b), he shall be entitled to draw his
arrears of pay only from the date of his option, i.e. the date of financial upgradation under ACP.
6.2 In cases where financial upgradation had been granted to Railway servants in the next
higher scale in the hierarchy of their cadre as per the provisions of the ACP Scheme of October,
1999, but whereas as a result of the implementation of Sixth CPC's recommendations, the next
higher post in the hierarchy of the cadre has been upgraded by granting a higher Grade Pay, the
pay of such employees in the revised pay structure will be fixed with reference to the higher
Grade Pay granted to the post. To illustrate, in the case of Jr. Engineer in CPWD, who was
granted 1st ACP in his hierarchy to the grade of Assistant Engineer in the pre-revised scale of
Rs.6500-10500 corresponding to the revised Grade Pay of Rs.4200 in the Pay Band PB-2, he will
now be granted Grade Pay of Rs.4600 in the Pay Band PB-2 consequent upon upgradation of the
post of Asstt. Engineers in CPWD by granting them the Grade Pay of Rs.4600 in PB-2 as a result
of Sixth CPC's recommendations. However, from the date of implementation of the MACPS, all
the financial upgradations under the Scheme should be done strictly in accordance with the
hierarchy of Grade Pays in Pay Bands as notified vide RS (RP) Rules, 2008.
7. With regard to fixation of his pay on grant of promotion/financial upgradation under
MACP Scheme, a Railway servant has an option under Rule 1313(1)(a)(i) of the Indian Railway Establishment Code-Volume II, (Sixth Edition 1987 – 2nd
Reprint, 2005) [FR 22(1)(a)(i)] to get
his pay fixed in the higher post/Grade Pay either from the date of his promotion/upgradation or
from the date of his next increment viz. 1st
July of the year. The pay and the date of increment
would be fixed in accordance with clarification no.2 of Railway Board's letter No.PC-
VI/2008/I/RSRP/1 dated 25-9-2008 (PC-VI/22, RBE No.132/2008)
8. Promotions earned in the post carrying same Grade Pay in the promotional hierarchy as
per Recruitment Rules shall be counted for the purpose of MACPS.
8.1 Consequent upon the implementation of Sixth CPC's recommendations, Grade Pay of
Rs.5400 is now in two Pay Bands viz., PB-2 and PB-3. The Grade Pay of Rs.5400 in PB-2 and
Rs.5400 in PB-3 shall be treated as separate Grade Pays for the purpose of grant of upgradations
under MACPS.
9. 'Regular service' for the purpose of the MACPS shall commence from the date of
joining of a post in direct entry grade on a regular basis either on direct recruitment basis or on
absorption/re-employment basis. Service rendered on adhoc/contract basis before regular
appointment on pre-appointment training shall not be taken into reckoning. However, past
continuous regular service in another Government/Department in a post carrying same Grade
Pay prior to regular appointment in a new Department, without a break, shall also be counted
towards qualifying regular service for the purpose of MACPS only (and not for the regular
promotions). However, benefits under the MACPS in such cases shall not be considered till the
satisfactory completion of the probation period in the new post.
10. Past service rendered by a Railway employee in a State Government/statutory
body/Autonomous body/Public Sector organisation, before appointment in the Railways shall not
be counted towards Regular Service.
11. 'Regular service' shall include all periods spent on deputation/foreign service, study leave
and all other kind of leave, duly sanctioned by the competent authority.
12. The MACPS shall also be applicable to work charged employees, if their service
conditions are comparable with the staff of regular establishment.
13. Existing time-bound promotion scheme, including in-situ promotion scheme, Staff Car
Driver Scheme or any other kind of promotion scheme existing for a particular category of
employees in the Railways, may continue to be operational for the concerned category of
employees if it is decided by the concerned administrative authorities to retain such Schemes,
after necessary consultations or they may switch-over to the MACPS. However, these Schemes
shall not run concurrently with the MACPS.
14. The MACPS is directly applicable only to the Railway employees. It will not get
automatically extended to employees of the Autonomous/Statutory Bodies under the
administrative control of the Ministry of Railways. Keeping in view the financial implications
involved, a conscious decision in this regard shall have to be taken by the Governing
Body/Board of Directors and Ministry of Railways and where it is proposed to adopt the
MACPS, prior concurrence of Ministry of Finance shall be obtained.
15. lf a financial upgradation under the MACPS is deferred and not allowed after 10 years in
a Grade Pay, due to the reason of the employees being unfit or due to departmental proceedings,
etc., this would have consequential effect on the subsequent financial upgradation which would
also get deferred to the extent of delay in grant of first financial upgradation.
16. On grant of financial upgradation under the Scheme, there shall be no change in the
designation, classification or higher status. However, financial and certain other benefits which
are linked to the pay drawn by an employee such as HBA, allotment of Government
accommodation shall be permitted.
17. The financial upgradation would be on non-functional basis subject to fitness, in the
hierarchy of Grade Pay within the PB-1.Thereafter for upgradation under the MACPS the
benchmark of 'good' would be applicable till the Grade Pay of Rs. 6600/- in PB-3. The
benchmark will be 'Very Good' for financial upgradation to the Grade Pay of Rs.7600 and above.
18. In the matter of disciplinary/penalty proceedings, grant of benefit under the MACPS
shall be subject to rules governing normal promotion. Such cases shall, therefore, be regulated
under the provisions of the Railway Servants (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1968 and instructions
issued there under.
19. The MACPS contemplates merely placement on personal basis in the immediate higher
Grade Pay/grant of financial benefits only and shall not amount to actual/functional promotion of
the employees concerned. Therefore, no reservation orders/roster shall apply to the MACPS,
which shall extend its benefits uniformly to all eligible SC/ST employees also. However, the
rules of reservation in promotion shall be ensured at the time of regular promotion. For this
reason, it shall not be mandatory to associate members of SC/ST in the Screening Committee
meant to consider cases for grant of financial upgradation under the Scheme.
20. Financial upgradation under the MACPS shall be purely personal to the employee and
shall have no relevance to his seniority position. As such, there shall be no additional financial
upgradation for the senior employees on the ground that the junior employee in the grade has got
higher pay/Grade Pay under the MACPS.
21. Pay drawn in the Pay Band and the Grade Pay allowed under the MACPS shall be taken
as the basis for determining the terminal benefits in respect of the retiring employee.
22. If a Group ‘A’ Railway employee, who was not covered under the ACP Scheme has now
become entitled to say, third financial upgradation directly, having completed 30 years’ regular
service, his pay shall be fixed successively in next three immediate higher Grade Pays in the
hierarchy of revised Pay Bands and Grade Pays allowing the benefit of 3% pay fixation at every
stage. Pay of persons becoming eligible for second financial upgradation may also be fixed
accordingly.
23. In case an employee is declared surplus in his/her organisation and appointed in the same
pay scale or lower scale of pay in the new organization, the regular service rendered by him/her
in the previous organisation shall be counted towards the regular service in his/her new
organisation for the purpose of giving financial upgradation under the MACPS.
24. In case, an employee after getting promotion/ACP seeks unilateral transfer on a lower
post or lower scale, he will be entitled only for second and third financial upgradations on
completion of 20/30 years of regular service under the MACPS, as the case may be, from the
date of his initial appointment to the post in the new organization.
25. If a regular promotion has been offered but was refused by the employee before
becoming entitled to a financial upgradation, no financial upgradation shall be allowed as such
an employee has not been stagnated due to lack of opportunities. If, however, financial
upgradation has been allowed due to stagnation and the employee subsequently refuses the
promotion, it shall not be a ground to withdraw the financial upgradation. He shall, however, not
be eligible to be considered for further financial upgradation till he agrees to be considered for
promotion again and the second or the next financial upgradation shall also be deferred to the
extent of period of debarment due to the refusal.
26. Cases of persons holding higher posts purely on adhoc basis shall also be considered by
the Screening Committee along with others. They may be allowed the benefit of financial
upgradation on reversion to the lower post or if it is beneficial vis-à-vis the pay drawn on adhoc
basis.
27 . Employees on deputation need not revert to the parent Department for availing the
benefit of financial upgradation under the MACPS. They may exercise a fresh option to draw the
pay in the Pay Band and the Grade Pay of the post held by them or the Pay plus Grade Pay
admissible to them under the MACPS, whichever is beneficial.
28. Illustration:-
A. (i) If a Railway servant (LDC) in PB-1 in the Grade Pay of Rs.1900 gets his first regular
promotion (UDC) in PB-1 in the Grade Pay of Rs.2400 on completion of 8 years of
service and then continues in the same Grade Pay for further 10 years without any
promotion then he would be eligible for 2nd
financial upgradation under the MACPS in
PB-1 in the Grade Pay of Rs.2800 after completion of 18 years (8+10 years).
(ii) In case he does not get any promotion thereafter, then he would get 3rd
financial
upgradation in PB-2 in Grade Pay of Rs.4200 on completion of further 10 years of
service i.e. after 28 years (8+10+10).
(iii) However, if he gets 2nd
promotion after 5 years of further service in PB-2 in the Grade
Pay of Rs.4200 (Assistant Grade/Grade ‘C’) i.e. on completion of 23 years
(8+10+5years) then he would get 3rd
financial upgradation after completion of 30 years
i.e. 10 years after the 2nd ACP in PB-2 in the Grade Pay of Rs.4600.
In the above scenario, the pay shall be raised by 3% of the total pay in the Pay Band
and Grade Pay drawn before such upgradation. There shall, however, be no further
fixation of pay at the time of regular promotion if it is in the same Grade Pay or in
the higher Grade Pay. Only the difference of Grade Pay would be admissible at the
time of promotions.
B. If a Railway servant (LDC) in PB-1 in the Grade Pay of Rs.1900 is granted 1st
financial
upgradation under the MACPS on completion of 10 years of service in PB-1 in the Grade
Pay of Rs.2000 and 5 years later he gets 1st
regular promotion (UDC) in PB-1 in the Grade
Pay of Rs.2400, the 2nd
financial upgradation under MACPS (in the next Grade Pay w.r.t.
Grade Pay held by Railway servant) will be granted on completion of 20 years of service in
PB-1 in the Grade Pay of Rs.2800. On completion of 30 years of service, he will get 3rd
ACP
in the Grade Pay of Rs. 4200. However, if two promotions are earned before completion of
20 years, only 3rd
financial upgradation would be admissible on completion of 10 years of
service in Grade Pay from the date of 2nd
promotion or at the 30th
year of service, whichever
is earlier..
C. If a Railway servant has been granted either two regular promotions or 2nd
financial
upgradation under the ACP Scheme of October, 1999 after completion of 24 years of regular
service then only 3rd
financial upgradation would be admissible to him under the MACPS on
completion of 30 years of service provided that he has not earned third promotion in the
hierarchy.
(P. P. Pandey)
Director, Pay Commission
Railway Board
* * * *
(Authority: DoP&T’s OM No.35034/3/2008-Estt.(D) dated 19th
May 2009)
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